President Donald Trump announced Thursday that former Fox News co-president Bill Shine will join the White House staff as assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff for communications.
"He brings over two decades of television programming, communications, and management experience to the role," a statement from the White House read.
Shine succeeds Hope Hicks, Anthony Scaramucci, Sean Spicer, and Michael Dubke as head of the White House communications department.
Politico reported last week that Trump was likely to pick Shine for the role, noting that the selection could cause controversy. Shine resigned from Fox News last May in the midst of several sexual harassment scandals plaguing the network.
Former Fox News contributor Julie Roginsky sued Shine on the grounds that he failed to investigate allegations of sexual assault against former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes, which she said were brought to him directly. Another employee accused him of helping to facilitate a secret rendezvous with Ailes.
Shine was not accused of harassment or assault, and he has denied allegations of wrongdoing.
The White House communications staff has seen a high rate of turnover during the Trump presidency.
Anthony Scaramucci resigned as communications director last July after ten days on the job because of explicit comments he made in an interview with The New Yorker’s Ryan Lizza. Hope Hicks, who succeeded Scaramucci, departed earlier this year.
CBS News reported in June that current White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders is planning to step aside at the end of the year. Sanders, however, shot down the report, questioning if CBS knew more about her future plans than she did.
"Does @CBSNews know something I don’t about my plans and my future?" Sanders wrote on Twitter. "I was at my daughter’s year-end Kindergarten event and they ran a story about my 'plans to leave the WH' without even talking to me. I love my job and am honored to work for @POTUS."
Since Hicks left the post in March, White House communications strategy has been shaped by Trump and key advisors, including Counselor Kellyanne Conway.
Trump has considered Fox News contributors for White House roles in the past. Trump interviewed Laura Ingraham, host of "The Ingraham Angle," for the role of press secretary. Former Fox News anchor Heather Nauert currently serves as the State Department’s spokesperson.